One Last Lap: Preparing Seniors for an AI-Powered College World
Senior year of high school is a whirlwind of college applications, last-minute memories, and a general feeling of being on the cusp of something big. It’s also our last, best chance to equip these young adults with the skills they’ll need to thrive in the next chapter of their lives. And in today’s world, that means one thing: talking about AI. I've found that for many of our seniors, the conversation around AI has been limited to what they can get away with. It's often viewed as a shortcut or a tool for plagiarism. But if we send them off to college with that mindset, we're doing them a huge disservice. The next year is a crucial window to shift their perspective and teach them how to use AI as a powerful, ethical partner in their academic journey.
The College AI Reality Check
Let's face it: AI is already part of the college experience. Professors are using it for everything from generating lecture slides to identifying plagiarism. Students are using it to brainstorm research topics, draft emails, and even understand complex concepts. The difference between a student who uses AI responsibly and one who doesn’t will be stark. One will see it as a tool to enhance their learning and critical thinking, while the other will be at a constant disadvantage, either falling behind or facing academic integrity issues.
This isn't about scaring them. It's about being honest. Most colleges and universities have their own specific policies on AI use. Some may allow it for brainstorming, but not for drafting. Others might encourage its use with proper citation. The key is that there's no one-size-fits-all rule, and our students need to be prepared to navigate these nuances. We can use this last year to give them a foundation in digital ethics, showing them how to cite AI, verify its output, and understand the difference between using a tool and letting a tool do all the work.
Teaching AI as a Skill, Not a Shortcut
In my own classroom, I’ve started a "Senior AI Toolkit" series. We spend a few class periods focused on different applications of AI in a higher-education context. For example, we'll take a look at a complex academic article and use an AI summarizer to understand the main points. Then, we critically analyze the summary, comparing it to the original text and discussing what was lost or misinterpreted. This teaches them not to blindly trust the tool, but to use it as a starting point for deeper understanding.
We also work on "prompt engineering." Instead of a simple query like "write about the American Revolution," we practice crafting detailed, specific prompts that guide the AI to produce more nuanced and accurate results. This process forces them to think critically about their own research questions and goals. It’s a skill that will serve them well when they're faced with a blank page and a complex term paper.
Here's a quick list of ways you can start to prepare your seniors for college-level AI use right now:
Citation Practice: Introduce them to different citation styles (MLA, APA) for AI-generated content. Discuss the importance of transparency and honesty.
Critical Analysis: Give them AI-generated text and ask them to fact-check it. This highlights the importance of human oversight and expertise.
Ethical Debates: Facilitate discussions about the ethical implications of AI in academia, from data privacy to bias in algorithms.
We have one more year with these students to shape their habits and attitudes. Let's not waste it by ignoring the elephant in the room. By teaching them to embrace AI as a powerful and responsible tool, we can send them off to college not with a sense of dread, but with the confidence to navigate an AI-powered world.
